The Final Episode
by excalibos
Summary: The following is my idea of how they could end Smallville.  It was the product of an overactive imagination, too little sleep, and an obsession with analyzing every detail.  Enjoy.  Warning: multiple Character Death implied


1Smallville Series Finale: Final Scenes

as envisioned by Christian Dart and Chris W.

written by Excalibos aka Christian Dart

Author's note:

Greetings to one and all. To explain the little "envisioned" thing above, my friend Chris is great at coming up with the mechanics of the story, then he tends to tell me, which makes my analysis/reasoning/logistics-type brain have an aneurysm of ideas. So he and I worked up the basic setup for this while I was at work, and I came home and wrote it out in about 4 hours.

Scene: Exterior, Kent farm, afternoon.

Establishing shot of farm, with barn in foreground.

Cut to:

Scene: Interior Barn Floor

Lois Lane enters scene left. Quick cut to profile shot of Lois as she looks toward the Fortress of Solitude.

Tracking shot follows as she climbs the stairs to the loft.

Cut to:

Scene: Barn Loft

Shot of Clark sitting on couch, hands folded in front of him, his face drawn and shoulders slumped. Lois enters from stairs, but Clark takes no notice of her.

LOIS (pensively): Hey, Clark.

Clark just looks up at her sadly, then stands and moves to the Loft window.

LOIS: Listen, I want to thank you for helping me get that information on Lex. With that news out in the open, it won't be long before the IRS and a whole bunch more of Alphabet Land decides to check into the Luthor closets. I know it must have been difficult for you...

CLARK (interrupting, his tone angry as he turns to her): You have no idea what it was like for me. I stood up for Lex for so long, believing that he wasn't his father, that he was a good person, and look at what's happened. (He turns back to the window, careful to not crush the wood as he pounds his fist against the sill) Chloe died because of him, and his obsessions. I just… you have no idea…

LOIS (anger entering her tone): Oh, what, farmboy?! You think you're the only person that's had to face a loss? Don't forget for one SECOND that Chloe was my cousin, or that we had known each other almost our entire lives. Losing her nearly killed me, but she would want us to fight back. To bring the Luthors' down.

CLARK (scoffs): Bring the Luthors' down. Don't you think we haven't been trying to shut down their operations, their secret projects, for years? Lois, Oliver Queen has been trying to shut the Luthors down longer than we have, with a lot more resources, and he's still no closer to stopping them.

LOIS: First off, Kent, leave Oliver out of this. Second, just because we haven't succeeded yet doesn't mean that we won't.

CLARK: How can you say that, Lois? Just look around you. Every time we think we have the Luthors right where we want them, it all blows up in our faces and Lex walks free. A witness disappears, or that one crucial bit of evidence vanishes without a trace. He's too powerful, and without his father around to keep him in check, Lex is only going to get worse.

LOIS: All the more reason for us to keep trying. Look, I managed to convince the new editor over at the Planet to give me a full time job. With the Planet's resources backing us, we could…

CLARK: Forget it, Lois. I'm just... I'm sick and tired of constantly fighting Lex, of fighting against... (Pauses)

LOIS (confused): Against what?

CLARK (looking out barn window): Against what feels like the inevitable. Lex is going to remain a very powerful person, and there is nothing we can do about it.

LOIS (angry): Fine, Smallville. You want to give up, hide here on the farm far away from the big bad Luthors? Be my guest. But just for your information? Don't expect me to smile and welcome you with open arms if you decide to change your mind. You quit now, and I'll never forgive you for it. You turn your back, and Clark Kent will be a nonentity when it comes to Lois Lane. (Clark continues to stare out the window, his shoulders set resolutely)

Lois (disgustedly): Go to Hell, Clark Jerome Kent.

Lois leaves, her stride resolute, as Clark continues to stare out the loft window.

Cut to

Scene: Interior Kwabachee Caves

Camera focus on the cave paintings then pan and rotate down to focus on Clark as he stares up at them, specifically the images of Numan and Ziget.

CLARK (to himself): This is what it all comes back to, isn't it Father? Doing what I'd like to do, or following the path that was placed before me.

LEX (off camera): I didn't know you were one to talk to yourself, Clark. (Clark spins to face him) You should be careful about that. You never know who might be listening. (Strides forward until he is almost nose to nose with Clark, Lex's entire manner confrontational) Besides, someone might think you were nuts and lock you up. And yet, something tells me that you wouldn't be locked away for long.

CLARK (bristling): What are you doing here, Lex?

LEX (circling Clark as if judging from whence to pounce): Same thing you are, I imagine. These caves, even after all this time, still seem to call to me, begging me to unlock their mysteries. (Smirks at Clark) Oh, if but these walls could speak.

CLARK: If you're done, I was just leaving.

LEX: Me too actually. I'm going back to Metropolis, Clark, for good. You can have your town back, and all of the nothing that goes with it. (Starts to leave)

CLARK: You know things didn't have to end like this. (Lex stops but doesn't turn back)

LEX: No. Things ended the only way they could, Clark. You just have to be so damn secretive.

CLARK: And you're always trying to find the next way to kill people.

LEX (spins to face Clark and shouts): I'm trying to protect the world!

CLARK (shouting back): Then why does almost every one of your projects threaten to destroy it!?!

LEX (silent for a moment, his jaw clenched): Don't push me, Kent. (Turns to leave again) Or you'll find out firsthand exactly what happened to Judas.

CLARK (watches Lex leave, his own jaw clenched tightly, then replies just as Lex reaches the exit): You have it backwards, Luthor. I didn't sell my soul to make a profit.

Cut to:

Scene: Exterior, Smallville graveyard, evening

Clark kneels in front of a headstone and brushes away leaves and grass clippings, revealing the name "Jonathan Kent." Clark sits back, his expression sad.

CLARK: Dad, I...I don't even know why I'm here. I just, I needed to talk to you again. You always knew how to help me, how to make things right when I got confused. I could really use that right now. (He looks forlornly at the stone as he hangs his head) What am I supposed to do?

J'ONN J'ONZ (walks noisily up behind Clark and stops just by his right shoulder): You must do what you must. Use your powers to aid mankind, or cast them to the side and live your life in hiding, never knowing who you were meant to be.

CLARK (not physically reacting to the Martian's presence): I can't just turn my back on the people I love.

J'ONN J'ONZ (putting his hand on Clark's shoulder): I never said you had to. (Clark turns to look at him) We are both among the last of our kind, Kal-El. The Last Son of Krypton, and the Last Son of Mars. The legacy we leave behind, so that Earth may know of our people, is left in our hands; to be written by our actions, our decisions. I do not pretend to believe my path will be easy, but that which is worthwhile in our short existence rarely is. I do, however, believe that I will give my all for what is right, so that I may leave a most fitting legacy for my people, that they be remembered by my actions, my decisions from this day forward. My choice, though, cannot be yours. That must come from you, and you alone.

Cut to:

Scene: Barn Loft, Evening

Clark in sitting on the sill, looking out over the landscape of Smallville. Scenes from the past seasons begin to flash through his mind as the VOICE OF JOR-EL begins to speak. Clark looks up and out the barn window. Scenes are matched to what is being said by Jor-El. As the monologue progresses, there are momentary flashes to Clark sitting on the sill, a thoughtful expression on his face.

VOICE OF JOR-EL: You will travel far, my little Kal-El, but your mother, Lara, and I will never leave you, even in the face of our deaths. All that I have, all that I have learned, all that I feel, these and more I bequeath you. Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. But remember that even though you've been raised as a human being, you are not one of them. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. You are the only survivor of the planet Krypton. You have great powers, only some of which you have as yet discovered. Yet those powers will far exceed those of mortal men. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. For this reason, among others, I have chosen Earth for your new home. For this reason above all else, because of their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son.

As the monologue ends, a look of determination washes over Clark's face before he vanishes in a burst of speed from the shot.

Cut to:

Scene: Exterior, Lana's front door, night

Clark walk to Lana's door and knocks. The door opens as far as the chain allows and Lana's face appears in the crack.

LANA (happily): Clark! (Door shuts, the sound of locks being undone is heard, then Lana steps through the now open door)

CLARK: Hey, Lana.

LANA: It's kind of late for a visit, isn't it?

CLARK: Actually, I need to talk to you.

LANA: Of course. (Clark looks around helplessly for a few moments, not meeting her eyes. Her face falls.) It's bad, isn't it.

CLARK: Yes, and no. I found out earlier that Lex is leaving Smallville. He's going back to Metropolis for good.

LANA: So how is that bad exactly?

CLARK: It's not... but I'm leaving as well.

LANA: Okay. Well, when will you be back?

CLARK(softly): I don't know.

LANA (on the verge of tears): Clark, we have a chance to be together. No more secrets, no more lies. We finally have a chance to be happy.

CLARK (wipes a tear from her cheek): I'd like nothing more than to spend the rest of my life here with you, Lana. (Lana turns and walks into her apartment as Clark follows, shutting the door) I can't keep running away from my destiny. I have these incredible powers, but there is so much that I have to learn. And Jor-El can teach me.

LANA (crying softly): I knew this day was coming.

CLARK: What do you mean?

LANA (turns to Clark): Ever since Chloe died, you haven't been the same person. You keep acting like it's your job to save the world.

CLARK: Lana, that's because I have the ability to do it.

LANA: Clark, I lost Whitney because he wanted to save the world. I can't go through that again, do you understand that? I can't be strong like that again. Especially if it's you. If I lost you...

CLARK: Lana, you're not going to lose me.

LANA (sniffs a few times then squares her shoulders): You're right, Clark. Because I'm not going to keep you.

CLARK: What? Lana, don't talk like that.

LANA: What else am I supposed to do, Clark? Look at what you can do. Think of all the tragedies you could change or prevent. How am I supposed to be selfish, knowing that you could do so much for so many people? (She pauses and turns away again) Clark, I want nothing more than to keep you here with me forever, but we both know you came here to tell me goodbye. So, say goodbye, I'll tell you to be careful, all while trying desperately not to break down, and you'll go.

CLARK (pulls Lana into a tight embrace): I wish things could be different, Lana.

LANA (tears flowing freely down her cheeks): So do I, Clark. So do I.

Fade to Black

Scene: Exterior Kent Farm porch, Morning

Martha follows Clark out to the driveway, a large duffel bag on his shoulder. She carries a thermos as she talks to him.

MARTHA (her manner that of a mother taking her child to the first day of summer camp): You have everything packed? Your toothbrush, some books, extra batteries for the flashlight…

CLARK (laughing): Mom, it is okay. I've got everything I need.

MARTHA (brushing off imaginary dirt from his jacket): I know, I know. I just... I just can't help but remember that first moment I saw you. (She reaches up to fix his collar before putting her hand on his cheek) I knew the moment I saw you that all my prayers had been answered a thousand times over.

CLARK (embarrassed): Mo-o-om.

He walks a respectable distance away from her to the center of the driveway, and with his superhearing hears her whisper

MARTHA: I love you Clark.

CLARK(grinning in response to her, his voice confident): I love you too, Mom.

MARTHA: Are you sure you have to do this?

In the background the Opening theme from the Superman Movie begins to play.

CLARK: Yeah Mom, I do. The fortress has the information, the knowledge I need, to finally finish what my father started when he sent me here.

MARTHA (quiet for a moment before whispering with tears in her eyes): Promise me you'll come back?

CLARK (his tone serious): Jor-El might have given me life, but you and Dad taught me how to live. This is my home, and I will come back to you, one day. I promise.

He crouches down, ala season 4 and the camera zooms past him to focus directly on Martha's face as if it were us she was watching as the music builds. Martha's eyes lift skyward as the camera rapid zooms backwards into orbit, then zooms back to Earth, into the true Fortress of Solitude. We enter the Fortress with a quick wipe to a black background with the classic RED and YELLOW SHIELD as the triumphant fanfare starts.

Before the credits, in the same swoosh and color scheme as the title on the comic covers, read the words "THE BEGINNING"

Credits roll over the SHIELD as the classic John Williams theme continues.


End file.
